diff --git a/lib/global_phone/context.rb b/lib/global_phone/context.rb
index 4524524..ec496d1 100644
--- a/lib/global_phone/context.rb
+++ b/lib/global_phone/context.rb
@@ -19,8 +19,8 @@ def default_territory_name=(territory_name)
       @default_territory_name = territory_name.to_s.intern
     end
 
-    def parse(string, territory_name = default_territory_name)
-      db.parse(string, territory_name)
+    def parse(string, territory_name = default_territory_name, skip_e161=false)
+      db.parse(string, territory_name, skip_e161)
     end
 
     def normalize(string, territory_name = default_territory_name)
diff --git a/lib/global_phone/number.rb b/lib/global_phone/number.rb
index 7f209a5..439a3f7 100644
--- a/lib/global_phone/number.rb
+++ b/lib/global_phone/number.rb
@@ -10,11 +10,11 @@ class Number
     NON_DIALABLE_CHARS = /[^,#+\*\d]/
     SPLIT_FIRST_GROUP  = /^(\d+)(.*)$/
 
-    def self.normalize(string)
-      string.to_s.
-        gsub(VALID_ALPHA_CHARS) { |c| E161_MAPPING[c.downcase] }.
-        gsub(LEADING_PLUS_CHARS, "+").
-        gsub(NON_DIALABLE_CHARS, "")
+    def self.normalize(string, skip_e161=false)
+      str = string.to_s
+
+      str = str.gsub(VALID_ALPHA_CHARS) { |c| E161_MAPPING[c.downcase] } unless skip_e161
+      str.gsub(LEADING_PLUS_CHARS, '+').gsub(NON_DIALABLE_CHARS, '')
     end
 
     attr_reader :territory, :national_string
diff --git a/lib/global_phone/parsing.rb b/lib/global_phone/parsing.rb
index 1aa88b0..3c42d58 100644
--- a/lib/global_phone/parsing.rb
+++ b/lib/global_phone/parsing.rb
@@ -3,8 +3,8 @@
 
 module GlobalPhone
   module Parsing
-    def parse(string, territory_name)
-      string = Number.normalize(string)
+    def parse(string, territory_name, skip_e161=false)
+      string = Number.normalize(string, skip_e161)
       territory = self.territory(territory_name)
       raise ArgumentError, "unknown territory `#{territory_name}'" unless territory